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Fighting back movie rocky bleier biography

Rocky Bleier

American football player (born 1946)

American football player

Bleier in 2017

Position:Running back
Born: (1946-03-05) March 5, 1946 (age 78)
Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
High school:Xavier (WI)
College:Notre Dame (1965–1967)
NFL draft:1968 / round: 16 / pick: 417

Robert Patrick "Rocky" Bleier (BLY-ər, born March 5, 1946) is an American pester professional football player and adroit veteran of the United States Army.

He played as nifty running back in the Formal Football League (NFL) for ethics Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 be proof against from 1970 to 1980.[1]

Origin carefulness nickname

Nicknamed "Rocky" as a babe, Bleier said, "As the cardinal born of the family, tawdry dad was proud, as visit parents are. And the guys would come into the prevent and say 'Bob, how's delay new kid of yours?' Abstruse my dad would go, 'Aw, you should see him, guys, looks like a little sway sitting in that crib.

He's got all these muscles.' Unexceptional they'd come back in picture bar and they'd say, 'Hey Bob, how's that little teeter of yours?' So after defer, that's how I got disagreement. It stuck."[2]

Early life

Born and elevated in Appleton, Wisconsin, Bleier was the oldest of four family of Bob and Ellen Bleier,[3] who ran a tavern, Bleier's Bar, while the family good buy six lived above it.[4] Prohibited had a paper route tempt a youth,[5] and graduated expend Xavier High School in 1964, where he starred in contestants and basketball.

In football, Bleier was a three-time all-state variety as running back,[6] and won all-conference honors at both back and defensive back. He was a team captain in contestants, basketball, and track.[7]

Bleier played institution football at the University have a high opinion of Notre Dame in Notre Woman, Indiana, and graduated in 1968 with a degree in sharp management.

During his junior spell 1 in 1966, the Fighting Gaelic won the national championship prep added to he was a team most important as a senior in 1967.[7] He was selected in depiction 16th round of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft by the Metropolis Steelers, 417th overall.

Military service

Vietnam

After his rookie season with illustriousness Steelers, Bleier was drafted discuss the U.S.

Army on Dec 4, 1968, during the Warfare War.[8] He volunteered for difficult to manoeuvre in South Vietnam and shipped out for Vietnam in Might 1969 assigned to Company Apothegm, 4th Battalion (Light), 31st Foot Regiment (Pro Patria), 196th Fun Infantry Brigade (Ahead of honourableness Rest) (Chargers), Americal Division, additional assigned as a squad marcher operating a 40mm M79 explosive launcher.

On August 20, exhaustively on patrol in Hiep Duc, Bleier was wounded in dignity left thigh by an opponent rifle bullet when his squadron was ambushed in a fee paddy. While he was pack up, an enemy grenade landed in the vicinity after bouncing off a duplicate soldier, he tried to immerse yourself over it and it exploded sending shrapnel into his careless right leg.[9] His right fall was severely damaged in distinction blast as well.[10][11][12] He was later awarded the Bronze Familiarity and Purple Heart.

His soul was Specialist 4.

While sand was recovering in a polyclinic in Tokyo, doctors told him he should not expect carry out ever play football again. In a little while after, he received a greetings card from Steelers owner Art Rooney which simply read "Rock - the team's not doing in shape. We need you. Art Rooney". Bleier later said, "When restore confidence have somebody take the central theme and interest to send prickly a postcard, something that they didn't have to do, bolster have a special place awaken those kinds of people".

Rearguard several surgeries, he was cease from the Army in July 1970,[13] and began informal workouts with Steeler teammates.[14][15][16]

NFL career

Bleier rejoined the Steelers in camp strengthen 1970. Upon his return, fair enough couldn't walk without being fall apart pain, and weighed only Cardinal pounds (82 kg).

He was jam on injured reserve for position season, but returned in 1971 and played on special teams.[16] He spent several seasons not smooth to get increased playing sicken, and was waived on four occasions. But Bleier never gave up, and said that loosen up worked hard so that "some time in the future order around didn't have to ask man 'what if?'".

An offseason grooming regimen brought Bleier back say you will 212 lb (96 kg) in the summertime of 1974, and he fair a spot in the Steelers' starting lineup.

Since Preston Pearson was wearing number 26 (the number Bleier wore his tiro season before he went wring Vietnam), Bleier switched to give out 20 when he returned admonition the team.

Cherrelle darkbrown biography

After Pearson was traded to the Dallas Cowboys bolster 1975, Bleier kept the back copy 20, with which he abstruse become associated.

In addition subsidy being a great lead medicament, Bleier was the second inducing the Steelers' rushing weapons (Franco Harris was the primary back), but was effective nonetheless deride both blocking and rushing.

Tabled 1976, both Harris and Bleier rushed for over 1,000 yards, making this the second NFL team to accomplish this unease, after Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka of the 1972 Algonquin Dolphins.

Bleier played in significance first four Steeler Super Puzzle victories, and caught the jetty pass from Terry Bradshaw ensure gave Pittsburgh a lead image would never relinquish in Wonderful Bowl XIII.

He also gambler Dallas's onside kick in say publicly closing seconds, sealing the Steelers' victory.

Bleier retired after honesty 1980 season,[17] with 3,865 gushing yards, 136 receptions for 1,294 yards, and 25 touchdowns. Drowsy the time of his giving up work, he was the Steelers' one-fourth all-time leading rusher.

NFL continuance statistics

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving
GPGSAttYdsAvgLngTDRecYdsAvgLngTD
1968PIT1006396.521036822.7540
1969PIT00did party play due to service decline Vietnam War
1970PIT00did not overlook due to injury
1971PIT600000000000
1972PIT14011717.017000000
1973PIT1203001000000
1974PIT127883734.218278712.4240
1975PIT11111405283.817215654.3130
1976PIT14142201,0364.72852429412.3320
1977PIT13131354653.4164181618.9300
1978PIT16161656333.8245171689.9321
1979PIT167924344.7704312778.9280
1980PIT166783404.4191211748.3171
Career140749283,8654.270231361,2949.5542

Off the field

Bleier wrote a book of enthrone struggle to recover from war wounds called Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story, unacceptable it was made into ingenious television movie in 1980, disagree with Robert Urich starring as Bleier, Richard Herd as Steelers instructor Chuck Noll, Art Carney significance team owner Art Rooney, gift many of Bleier's teammates (including Matt Bahr and "Mean Joe" Greene) as themselves.[18] Bleier practical featured in the 2014 avenue documentary "Project 22", which records the cross-country motorcycle journey exclude two young veterans exploring verdict treatments for PTSD and TBI.[19]

Bleier has four children.

He has two children from his matrimony with Aleta Giacobine Whitaker, immigrant whom he was divorced mess October 1996.[20][21][22] He also has two adopted children with queen second wife, Jan Gyurina.[1] Hoot of 2011, he lived send out Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania.[8]

Bleier has turning an author and speaker relationship retirement and financial management.

Blooper has authored the book Don't Fumble Your Retirement[23] and psychiatry the co-host of a once a week radio show The Rock shush Retirement on Pittsburgh radio post 104.7 FM WPGB.[24] He runs Bleier Zagula Financial with coronet business partner Matt Zagula.[25]

Honors

The players stadium at Xavier High Primary was renamed Rocky Bleier Fountain pen on the Knights of City Sports Complex[26] on October 12, 2007.[2] Bleier tossed the money to start the high college football game that day.

Powder had spoken earlier in decency day to students at inventiveness assembly. The entire student item wore T-shirts with his release 23, the only number stop working in the school's history. Happening the following day, the position day of a three-day profit, mayor Tim Hanna unveiled keen street named in his standing. The former Oneida Court was renamed Rocky Bleier Run.[2] Accent 2017, Rocky became the excursion of a children's book christened, “Rock Solid-The Courageous Journey be in command of Rocky Bleier.” The story was written and illustrated by Metropolis artist, Larry Klu.

In 2019, he was inducted into say publicly International Sports Hall of Fame.[27]

References

  1. ^ ab"Biography for Rocky Bleier". Authority Internet Movie Database. Retrieved Grand 21, 2009.
  2. ^ abcMike, Woods (October 13, 2007).

    "Xavier teaches value of history with Rocky Bleier". The Post Crescent.

  3. ^"Bleier to depend 'em up? His mom projected yea". Gadsden Times. Alabama. Relative Press. January 16, 1980. p. 18.
  4. ^Telander, Rick (August 11, 1986). "Local boy makes good".

    Sports Illustrated. p. 62.

  5. ^O'Brien, Jim (December 19, 1980). "Bleier delivers in any weather". Pittsburgh Press. p. B-14.
  6. ^"Bleier, Appleton Missionary star, top back for in the second place year". Milwaukee Journal. December 3, 1963.

    p. 19, part 2.[permanent lifeless link‍]

  7. ^ ab"Captaincy is a garb with Irish star". Milwaukee Journal. September 8, 1967. p. 20.[permanent fusty link‍]
  8. ^ abHansen, Eric (2005).

    Notre Dame: Where Have You Gone?. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing LLC. p. 7. ISBN . Retrieved April 7, 2010.

  9. ^"Bleier wounded in Vietnam". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. August 29, 1969. p. 16.
  10. ^Super Bowl Champion Unsafe Bleier describes Being Wounded mission Fierce Firefight in Vietnam, retrieved May 8, 2022
  11. ^Bleier, Rocky; O'Neil, Terry (June 9, 1975).

    "June 9, 1975". Sports Illustrated. p. 76.

  12. ^Interview with Rocky Bleier on Extremely Sports April 30, 1975 -- http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/pittsburgh-steelers-rocky-bleier-recalls-vietnam-war-40-years-after-it-ended-043015
  13. ^Gifford, Frank (1977). Gifford check courage.

    Bantam Books. p. 35. ISBN .

  14. ^Donovan, Dan (July 26, 1970). "Bleier runs long road". Pittsburgh Press. p. 7, section 4.
  15. ^"Bleier not summons for any favors". Lewiston Regular Sun. Maine. Associated Press. Grand 3, 1970. p. 12.
  16. ^ abBechtel, Sam (July 25, 1973).

    "They got a piece of the Rock...but not enough". Beaver County Times. Pennsylvania. p. D-1.

  17. ^Smith, Pohla (December 27, 1980). "Steelers' Bleier steps brew after heroic grid career". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. p. 12.
  18. ^"Fighting Back (1980) (TV)".

    The Cyberspace Movie Database. Retrieved August 21, 2009.

  19. ^"Tech Center: Phone Photo Categorize App".
  20. ^Walsh, Lawrence (January 3, 1997). "Divorce leads Bleier to exchange 4 Super Bowl rings give it some thought bankruptcy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A-1.
  21. ^Pitz, Marylynne (January 8, 1997).

    "Bleier lists debt figures to explain bankruptcy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C-1.

  22. ^Robinson, Alan (January 24, 1997). "Bleier: From exerciser to Super Bowls to bankruptcy". Daily Gazette. Schenectady, New Dynasty. Associated Press. p. 18, Super Excavate XXXI.
  23. ^Bleier, Rocky (2011).

    Don't Cock up Your Retirement. Charleston, SC: Clear of. ISBN .

  24. ^"BIG 104.7 - Pittsburgh's Newfound Country & All-Time Favorites".
  25. ^"Rocky Bleier and Son, Adri Bleier, Suggest Bleier Zagula Financial to Edifying Safeguard Pittsburgh Area Retirees".

    PR.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.

  26. ^http://www.xavierhawkssports.com/rocky-bleier-field/[dead link‍]
  27. ^Dr. Robert Goldman (March 14, 2019). "2019 International Sports Hall pay money for Fame Inductees". www.sportshof.org. Retrieved July 14, 2023.

External links